Seasonal Variability of Seaweed Biomass along the Vertical Shore Gradients of Nachido and Odo Islands, the Yellow Sea, Korea

Abstract

Seasonal variation in seaweed biomass was examined along vertical shore gradients on the rocky shores of Nachido and Odo Islands, the Yellow Sea, Korea, from August 2007 to April 2008. The average annual biomass of seaweed was 404.07 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>, with seasonal variation from 232.61 g in the spring to 754.90 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX> in the summer at Nachido Island. At Odo Island, average biomass was 270.82 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX> and ranged from 48.35 g in the winter to 451.66 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX> in the spring. Seaweed biomass exhibited an even distribution across the shore gradient from the high intertidal zone to -5 m depth at Nachido Island, whereas seaweed biomass was concentrated from the mid intertidal zone to -1 m depth in the subtidal zone at Odo Island. Sargassum thunbergii was the most dominant species, occupying 28.24% (114.12 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>) and 36.57% (99.05 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>) of total biomass at Nachido and Odo Islands, respectively. Subdominant seaweed species was Gelidium amansii, comprising 15.23% (61.52 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>) and 14.70% (39.82 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>) of total biomass at Nachido and Odo Islands, respectively. Dominant functional group was the coarsely branched-form group, which grows under moderate environmental conditions and comprised 93.34% (377.15 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>) and 66.96% (181.35-g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>) of total biomass at Nachido and Odo Islands, respectively. Percentage biomass of sheet-form seaweeds growing at relatively disturbed and polluted areas was approximately 20.83% (56.40 g wet wt/<TEX>$m^2$</TEX>) of total biomass along the Odo rocky shore. Based on the biomass and functional-form composition of seaweeds, we concluded that Nachido Island provides better environmental conditions than does Odo Island. In addition, the vertical distribution and dominant species of seaweeds on the two islands were very similar, but the functional-form composition of seaweeds at Nachido Island differed slightly from that at Odo Island.